


made in the nineties

by withoutwords



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: British Sign Language, Deaf Character, Fluff, Humour, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23663695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withoutwords/pseuds/withoutwords
Summary: “Who called you, anyway? Was it the old bitty Chambers?” Ben grumbles, letting the copper pass before putting his head out the door to yell, “Go to bed, Mrs. Chambers! Just ‘cause you’re a ninety year old with better hearing than me don’t mean you get to show off about it! It’s my birthday you old bat!”
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 17
Kudos: 106





	made in the nineties

**Author's Note:**

> for a prompt over at tumblr: can one of the boys be a police officer.
> 
> this is ... sort of that story.

Ben didn’t even want to have a party in the first place. He was only turning 25, it wasn’t like his 21st or - God forbid - his 30th. It was just another year, and another day, to remind him that he was getting old. If Ben had a say in it they’d all just go to the Albert. He could drink and dance and - all being well - score a shag.

Apparently what the birthday boy wants for his birthday party doesn’t count.

“Oh, great,” Ben says with a sigh, when he answers the door to a patrol officer. “Let me guess, noise complaints. Disturbing the peace. Just general misconduct or whatever.”

_ Is this your party, sir? _ the cop asks, taking off his hat to hold under an arm.

“No, no it ain’t actually. It’s  _ my _ birthday,” Ben concedes, pointing angrily at his own chest. “But it’s my best mate who wanted the party, so if you wanna go off at someone go off at him.”

_ Can I come in? _

Ben’s had enough dealings with police to know the first rule is don’t let them in your house - but he’s beyond caring now. He hopes the (albeit very nice looking) cop can give Jay a hard time and make this night worthwhile. 

“Who called you, anyway? Was it the old bitty Chambers?” Ben grumbles, letting the copper pass before putting his head out the door to yell, “Go to bed, Mrs. Chambers! Just ‘cause you’re a ninety year old with better hearing than me don’t mean you get to show off about it! It’s my birthday you old bat!”

Ben closes the door to turn back to the copper, but he’s already gone into the next room.

Ben follows through with a smirk on his face, anticipating the fallout; only he stops dead when he realises that the whole party has come together and are staring at him.

There’s a kitchen chair in the middle of the room. Oh, bloody hell.

Ben feels the beat of the music through his feet - obviously the song has changed to something hideously unsexy like Ginuwine or Justin Timberlake - wishing it would break open and swallow him whole.

Jesus Christ and Bloody Hell.

“I’m going to murder you,” Ben hisses at Jay when he comes over and drags Ben to the chair. The crowd have started hollering and the cop - he’s not even a cop how did Ben not see this coming - has put down his hat.

_ Happy Birthda _ y, Jay teases, leaning in to give Ben a few claps on the shoulder.

“I’m going to torture you very slow and then I’m going to murder you, you …”

Jay just shucks his chin and disappears, leaving Ben to be faced with the Not-A-Copper Stripper who … who. Christ, he really is good looking. Ben’s not into strippers as a rule but he has a nice smile, and he’s soft - not bulging with muscles like so many of them usually are.

Come to think of it, he’s not anything like the other strippers Ben’s seen. He seems shy, and unsure, not really meeting anyones eyes as he slowly throws his clothes off one item at a time.

It’s  _ sexy _ , though. HIs hips roll smoothly, and his cheeks are flushed, and his mouth is dark pink where it hangs just slightly open. When he does meet Ben’s eyes he’s heavy-lidded, and his tongue darts out to wet his lips. 

_ Fuck _ .

He’s never going to tell Jay he enjoyed this.

The Not-A-Cop gets naked down to his briefs, throwing his pants into Ben’s lap with a very embarrassed grin. When he spins, slowly, Ben gets a perfect eyeful of his arse - and it’s a very, very nice arse. Wow.

Soon, Ben sees everyone around him start clapping, but he’s too busy watching the Not-A-Cop gather his clothes and wave himself into the front room to get dressed. He doesn’t think twice about following him.

“Sorry, I thought you were actually a cop,” Ben says when he goes through, the other man buttoning his shirt. “I would have been nicer to you if I’d known you were the entertainment.”

He’s still blushing, and his head is dropped, so Ben can only make out a few words.  _ Alright, didn’t want, brother. _

“Sorry, mate, I didn’t catch that. I’m deaf, I read lips.”

_ Oh. Sorry. _ He stops buttoning himself to sign to Ben.  _ No one told me _ . 

“You know sign language?” Ben asks, signing along himself. He feels his heart speed up a little, he rarely meets any one who he can speak to so easily. It’s exciting. 

_ Yeah. My friend at school, he lost his hearing. So we learnt together. _

“That’s very cool. I’m Ben, by the way.”

_ Right, sorry, I’m Callum _ , he signs, then holds out a hand for Ben to shake. Big, strong hands Ben notices.

“You don’t seem very sold on the whole taking your clothes off thing, Callum”

Callum ducks his head again, embarrassed but smiling. Ben feels his chest do something weird. He’s perfect.  _ No, I ... Jay knows my brother Stuart and Stuart knows I’m a little desperate for money right now so. I thought I’d give it a go. _

“This was your first time?”

Callum gives him a wry smile.  _ So to speak. _

“Well, thanks. It was fun.”

_ Yeah? _ he asks, no sign, looking at Ben with honest surprise. 

“Yeah. Maybe I can …” Ben stops to scratch at the back of his head. He’s such an idiot. “Maybe we can catch up again? You can even wear clothes, if you want.”

When Callum laughs his head tips back a little, and Ben feels a stupid sense of pride. He finds himself smiling along, and it stretches into a huge grin when Callum signs,  _ Okay, that sounds good. _

“Yeah? Great. Let me grab my phone.”

Callum puts his number in Ben’s phone and Ben texts him straight away to make sure he’s got it. He walks out with him, to the curb, where Callum’s car is parked along the street.

“Thanks, Officer.”

Callum throws his jacket and hat into the car, turning back to Ben with a smile.  _ You’re welcome. Just make sure I don’t get any noise complaints or I’ll have to come back here. _

Ben laughs, taking the sight of Callum in that uniform just once more. “Oh, I’ll make sure of it.”


End file.
